Bono - Peoples champ or Iritating git

Bloody Drunkard

Is anyone else fed up of Bono the self proclaimed champion of the poor

Its very easy for someone to keep going on about how governments should let the 3rd world off from paying back their debt

While i am not entirely against this sentiment what really iritates nme is Bono's constant critiscims of elected officials . Who does the aging rocker think he is to tell people like Bush or Blair how to run their countries

Lets hope he sticks to music in future

GreenHell

I don't mind bono's stance, because its the stance of a hell of a lot of people, now if you where bush would you listen to "regular" people or somone of Bono's status.

sceptre

Personally, I criticise the running of other countries all the time. If, like Bono, I had a portable soapbox to do it from, I'd do it louder. He's as entitled to his opinion as I am to mine (and I'd stand over my opinions as being really important:D)

Plus if the wife does her bit in getting Sellafield closed, we'll all see the benefit of using fame to further views.

bombidol

I think he s abit of both, he see's u2's popularity kinda goin down so he hops up and becomes captain planet for an hour or two


bomb

Lemming

Originally posted by Bloody Drunkard
Is anyone else fed up of Bono the self proclaimed champion of the poor

Its very easy for someone to keep going on about how governments should let the 3rd world off from paying back their debt

While i am not entirely against this sentiment what really iritates nme is Bono's constant critiscims of elected officials . Who does the aging rocker think he is to tell people like Bush or Blair how to run their countries

Lets hope he sticks to music in future

FFS .. I'm sick of people moaning about Bono.

Let me ask you this ....

what the f*ck have you ever done to help the poor?

Beruthiel

'tis true Lemming
I am not a U2 fan (music wise) , but Bono is in a position where he could do one of two things, party till he drops and act the maggot caring about no one but himself - instead he is using his position to point out certain injustices in the world and voicing what possibly can be done about it, fair play to him and his mrs. for at least caring enough to say something - it's a little more productive than just whinging about it and doing nothing.

BuffyBot

Originally posted by Lemming


FFS .. I'm sick of people moaning about Bono.

Let me ask you this ....

what the f*ck have you ever done to help the poor?

I think it's a case of how he does it, not what he does.

good works by Bono = good thing. Keep em going

sanctamonious preaching = not keeping the poor fed/clothed and also can be annoying to people who might have helped out beforehand.

bonkey

Originally posted by BuffyBoy
sanctamonious preaching = not keeping the poor fed/clothed and also can be annoying to people who might have helped out beforehand.

Nah.

Sanctimonious preaching = being interesting enough to warrant continued media coverage of "crusade" which is what makes it somewhat effective.

The two biggest pop-stars I can think of who have championed causes successfully are Bob Geldof and Bono. Maybe its their Irishness which made them get such coverage in Ireland, but I see their continued successes as being partly because of their brash, unpolitical manner.

They talk as a normal Joe, but use their fame as a "portable soapbox" to more or less ensure that their cause gets covered. This makes sense to me.

Lets face it - if Bono was simply a well-behaved, politically correct campaigner, someone would be posting here about how surely he could have used his fame to better his cause.

I see his attitude as a deliberate move to improve the delivery of his message, and IMHO it works. Even if you dismiss him as a sanctimonious gobsheen, you've still listened longer than you may have if he took the "normal" routes of advocacy.

jc

Lemming

/me agrees with Beruthiel and Bonkey

btw bonkey ... well said!

mise

im sick of people criticising bono too. ok sometimes it does seem a bit over the top, the things he does, but least he's putting his celebrity to good use. and if he gets some stuff doen, decreasing third world debt or even just making people more aware of some problems in the world, with his "antics" then surely its a good thing

Kalina

Mise is right, Bono is using his celebrity status to great affect. He is trying to help other people by actions not like some other high profile people who are all talk.

Victor

Originally posted by Lemming
what the f*ck have you ever done to help the poor?

This assumes that writing off third world debt helps the poor. I argue it helps the questionable regimes (rich people in the third world) in many countries and the current holders of the debt (rich people in the first world).

And yes I contributed more money than I could afford to a charity by direct debit for the last year.

mike65

Bono is sometimes right but he is also an irritating git.
Unlike Bob Geldorf who is absolutly 100% cool and well as being right!

Mike.

mise

u wouldnt happen to be mike geldof, bob's brother??;)

Bateman

I don't think he speaks as a normal Joe, as someone said earlier. The thing with Bono is that no matter how idiotic he comes across, he is usually being honest. That probably threatens a lot of people's assertions about popstars etc etc. Calling Jacques Chirac a wanker at the MTV awards a few years back hasn't done Bono any harm but it probably hasn't done the career of Chirac any harm either.
However, as Victor(?) said, the usefulness of simply writing off third world debt could be debated for months, and people might never agree.
If everyone liked Bono he would be a very boring person. Look at the Corrs; they are so clean they make you cringe. And so on. I don't always agree with Bono, but he makes points that people don't always want to hear, and when he knows people don't want to hear him, he keeps going on. I suppose most people that claim not to like him probably repect him.

Ajnag

dunno i think bonos fallen from the top with his last album, probably a mid-life thing, but as on comedian said:
At least the pope dosnt go round dublin acting as if hes bono.

Johnny_the_fox

Just like Sinead O'Connor. I think in the next few years he will become Rev. or Father Bono (take ur pick).

U2 made 60Million on CD sales and a tour last year, how much do you think went to the poor?



* Could someone tell me if he has actually done anything for the poor? ie A concert etc.

sceptre

Not being a smartypants, but LiveAid? (just to kick off)

(don't be telling me that LiveAid was for the hungry not the poor now)

Robbo

How much tax does Bono pay, helping to service Ireland's debt?

Eowyn

bono has done more for the disadvantaged of the world than most other people in his position or with his status. i don’t think it matters how preachy or sanctimonious people think he is.

po0k

He is a patronising Prima Donna.

Adi Roche, Bob Geldof, Princess Diana, actually went out to these 'trouble spots'.

I've yet to see Bono walking in minefields.

mike65

Originally posted by sceptre
Not being a smartypants, but LiveAid? (just to kick off)

Bono had nothing to do with LiveAid except to play there with U2.


Mike.

Victor

Originally posted by Robbo
How much tax does Bono pay, helping to service Ireland's debt?

As an 'artist', relatively little. There is no tax on royalties. (Of course one of his business associates has been fined for inappropriate business advice to another party)

The Gopher

Originally posted by SyxPak
He is a patronising Prima Donna.

Adi Roche, Bob Geldof, Princess Diana, actually went out to these 'trouble spots'.

I've yet to see Bono walking in minefields.

To be fair didnt he either play or attempt to organise a concert in Sarajevo during the war?

PiE

Whether he helps the poor or not, he's still a f*cking w*nker.

Sorry; "irritating git".

mise

the fact of the matter is that bono get people thinking. he draws attention to things most people like to look over. and yes he is upfront, in your face, but i think thats the only way to get people to notice. i dont really understand why people call him a wanker??
he played live aid, and was on band aid, jubilee2000, the sarajevo gig, and aaaw, that i can think off. hes not afraid to say stuff that others are, probably cos of the status he has, but like hes trying to put it to good use